Japan sweeps Team gold medals at Asian Senior Championships

The Japanese senior and grand senior bowlers continued to battle their rivals from the host country Korea for the gold medals in the four-player team events and in all-events on the third and fourth day of competition at the 14th Asian Senior Championships.

After Korea swept all four gold medals in the doubles competition at East Seoul Grand Bowling Center in Seoul, Korea, Japan rebounded with a clean sweep in the team competition. After total 18 games in singles, doubles and team, Korea earned three gold medals and Japan one.

Boosted by a perfect opening games by Toshihiro Kaji (right), the third 300 game in this Championships, Tomokazu Maeda, Nobuyuki Kubo and Yoshiyuki Kawai cruised to the title in the senior men’s division with 5492 total and an average of 228.83 as a team.

Korea took silver and bronze with 5396 and 5305, respectively.

Singles champion Jang Rang Hean of Korea, who was on the silver medal team, captured his second gold medal in all-events with 4272 total and an average of 237.33 over 18 games. His compatriot Joung Myong Jin received silver with 4178 and Maeda got bronze with 4168.

Senior women singles winner Yumiko Yoshida averaged 220.17 to lead her team mates Yuko Miyakura, Honami Yanagawa and Tomoko Yoshikawa to the gold medal in the team event and to secure her third gold medal in this Championships in all-events.

Yoshida led the 4775 team effort, an average of 198.96, with 1321, the highest series in the event. Like in the men’s senior division, Korea took silver and bronze with 4730 and 4638.

Yoshida totaled 4033 pins in all-events, an average of 224.06, to win the gold medal by 137 pins over Lee Mi Sook of Korea (3896) with Lee Hwa Ja, Korea, in third at 3808.

In the men’s grand senior division, the gold medal went to Yusuke Harimoto, Chikataka Iwai, Katsumi Kamishita and Takayuki Kikugawa who totaled 5156 pins, including 90 pins handicap, five pins per game each for Harimoto, Iwai and Kamishita, who were in the 70-74 age group.

The winners averaged 211.08 scratch to beat out their compatriots Masanobu Matsui, Hidehiro Madore, Isamu Takada and Toshiaki Betchaku for the gold medal by 91 pins, 5156 to 5065. Korea with singles and doubles champion Kim Jong Tuck had to settle for bronze with 4993.

Kim, who had 1406 in singles and 1524 in doubles added 1349 in the team event to maintain a 54 pin lead and to earn his third gold medal in all-events with 4279 total and an average of 237.72. Masanobu, who led his team to the silver medal with 1416, was second with 4225 and Chikataka got bronze for his 4068 effort.

Once again, Korean teams had to settle for silver and bronze with 4305 and 4164, respectively.

Doubles champion Jang Ae Sim of Korea, who also had silver in singles and team, was the lone grand senior woman who averaged over 200 to win her second gold medal in all-events with 3606 total (200.33). Chatani was 151 pins behind in second place with 3455 and Kuji finished third with 3360.

The top 16 players in all-events in each division advanced to match play masters. After 16 games of round robin match play, including bonus pins (10 for each win, 5 for a tie), the third-placed bowler will earn the bronze medal while the top 2 will determine the gold and silver medalist in the TV finals on Tuesday, Nov. 29, for delayed broadcast on Dec. 1.

The 14th Asian Seniors Championship will be held from Nov. 22-30 at East Seoul Grand Bowling Center, a 47-laner in Seoul, Korea.

104 bowlers (55 men and 49 women) will compete in the Senior Division (50 to 64 years of age) and 94 bowlers (55 men and 39 women) will compete in the Grand Senior Division (65 years & over) for gold, silver and bronze medals in men’s and women’s singles, doubles, four-player teams, all-events and masters.

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